For the sake of this list I'm going to only count games that released in 2017, even though I finally got around to playing some cool stuff that released in earlier years (The Last Guardian, etc.) But I am going to count older games that released in 2017 on a new platform if that is how I first experienced them (Axiom Verge, etc.)

11. Splatoon 2 (NS) - I generally struggle to stay interested in online games, and I did fall off of Splatoon 2 after about 15 hours or so, but that's still a good chunk of fun to be had. And they just keep adding new stuff!

10. Sonic Mania (NS) - I'm not a fan of Sonic like... at all... but Mania hit all the right beats to keep me interested. This is the first time that I really felt like I "got" the gameplay, and it had a lot of variety to keep it spicy.

9. Golf Story (NS) - How did I forget this?! A golf sim with a goofy story, zany cast of characters and a wide variety of golf-based tasks. One of the more unique indie games I've played this year and it is Switch exclusive!

8. Axiom Verge (NS) - I haven't actually finished it yet (just started it recently), but near the end and really loving it. It's basically a Metroid clone that doesn't hide that it is a Metroid clone, but it's one of the best Metroid clones I have played, with a lot of neat weapons and functionality and a very weird story.

7. Nier: Automata (PS4) - To be honest I'm only about 8 hours into this game (also just started it recently), but loving it so far. It's basically an open world action RPG but with action that reminds me more of Devil May Cry type stuff than the typical action RPG. Has a very interesting world with a lot of unique characters as well.

6. Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) - I don't have a particularly strong connection to Metroid II, but this remake is basically a brand new game. It's huge (maybe even too huge) and wonderful, a big and epic handheld Metroid game. A bit of variety in bosses would have been nice, but what can you do.

5. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4) - Ok, technically I haven't finished this game yet either (again, started it fairly recently), but I'm pretty far into it and man... it's so good. Capcom reinvented Resident Evil yet again, going back to the roots in how you progress (feels a lot like Resident Evil 1's mansion) but keeping an updated 1st person view. It doesn't quite touch 4 for me, but it's up there with the best of the rest.

4. Rocket League (NS) - I know this game is old news but it is new to the Switch and man, it's so much fun. It's basically soccer with cars and add in sweet online play and it gets addicting as heck. An online game that actually keeps me coming back!

3. Persona 5 (PS4) - Although it feels a bit more bloated than 4, Persona 5 is still an excellent sequel with an awesome cast of character, a great story, and a whole lot going on that kept me into it for the 100ish hour run-time. And that ending just... wow.

2. Super Mario Odyssey (NS) - I had some issues with it, but at the end of the day it was a breath of fresh air for a franchise that somehow seems to continue reinventing itself and the most packed Mario game to date. New Donk City might be one of the greatest areas ever created in a video game.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NS) - What can you say about Zelda that hasn't been said already? Nintendo finally captured that feeling of exploration that they have been talking about for years now. The overworld is a freaking huge and amazing place to explore with tons to do. Shrines were pretty fun too.

I hope I didn't forget anything.

2017 games I wanted to play but never got around to: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Stardew Valley, Night in the Woods, etc.

@Hero_Of_Hyrule I was trying to think of how I felt about Splat2n and you pretty much nailed it. I think this is one of the unfortunate effects of the failure of the Wii U, the Switch is able to pilfer Wii U games to bolster its lineup with little consequence.

You and I seem to often be on the same wavelength regarding the same games we've played, so perhaps I should check out the ones on your list...

I'm bummed because this probably means we won't be getting a new Mario Kart any time soon (and 8 came out back in what, 2013?). It's another case of the Switch punishing people who supported the Wii U.

And yeah, we do tend to agree a lot. Some of my favorites from this year are kind of personal (they resonated with me because of thoughts and feelings I had going in ahead of time). But there's also a lot of it that is based purely on the game itself.

@Hero_Of_Hyrule MK8 was May 2014 but yeah, as soon as I saw Deluxe announced I knew it meant a long time without a new one. From what I understand, the MK team made ARMS, so unless another team has been working on a new Mario Kart game then we're probably looking at 2020 or later. I wouldn't even be surprised if Switch ended up without its own new MK game.

I expect that the switch won't get a Mario kart, and if it does it'll be very late in its life. Which is a bummer. I get why Nintendo would do that with Mario Kart and Tropical Freeze. They've got some great games that a large portion of their audience hasn't played, so why not just port them over? You're getting full price money with very little dev time/cost.

But it feels like I'm punished for buying a Wii U. The rereleases hurt the chances of a new Mario Kart or new Donkey Kong being released on Switch. At best it just pushes those release dates back. After all, why would Nintendo make a new Mario Kart or DK to compete with the ones they just released? Both a new Donkey Kong and Tropical Freeze cost the same amount to buy, but one is significantly cheaper to put out.

This would've been a good place for a Wii U virtual console on Switch. New fans can download these games at a budget price while Nintendo can focus on developing new games. The way VC games are marketed, few average users will see them as being in direct competition with the new games (a "this or that" scenario). Plus the reduced cost makes it easier for people to buy both if they missed out on the Wii U.

But we can't have that because Nintendo needs to put out their barely changed 4 year old games for full price. You couldn't really get away with charging 60 bucks for Mario 64 on the GameCube because those years were a significant jump in hardware and game design. But today, hardware advances and evolving philosophies regarding game design have kind of stagnated to the point where new consoles aren't really necessary outside of chasing profits.

@Hero_Of_HyruleIt's hard to disagree with any of that. I hope these Wii U "stopgap" ports don't mess with our new content, although I can see the wisdom in filling in the drought gaps with them. It does kind of take away a lot of the personality of the Wii U itself, which is kind of a bummer. We've already lost Splatoon, BotW, MK8, Bayonetta 1/2, Hyrule Warriors, DKC:TF and plenty of indie games to the Switch, while 3DS has Yoshi and Mario Maker. Only a matter of time before SSBWiiU becomes outdated too...